The First Book of Kings
CHAPTER 1
Adonijah’s Rebellion
Now king David was old and advanced in years; and they covered him with
clothes, but he couldn’t keep warm. 2Therefore his servants said to him, Let there be
sought for my lord the king a young virgin. Let her stand before the king, and
cherish him; and let her lie on your chest, so that my lord the king may keep warm.
3So they sought for a beautiful young lady throughout all the borders of Israel, and
found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4The young lady was
very beautiful; and she cherished the king, and ministered to him; but the king
didn’t know her intimately. 5Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself,
saying, I will be king. Then he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men
to run before him. 6His father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why
have you done so? And he was also a very handsome man; and he was born after
Absalom. 7He conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest:
they followed Adonijah and helped him. 8But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of
Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei and the mighty men who belonged to
David, were not with Adonijah. 9Adonijah killed sheep and cattle and fatlings by
the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En Rogel; and he called all his brothers, the
king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants: 10but Nathan the prophet,
and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he didn’t call.
Nathan and Bathsheba Persuade David to Pronounce Solomon as King
11Then
Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon saying, Haven’t you
heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith reigns, and David our lord doesn’t know it?
12Now therefore come, please let me give you advice, that you may save your own
life, and the life of your son Solomon. 13Go in to king David and tell him, ‘Didn’t
you, my lord, king, swear to your handmaid saying, Assuredly Solomon your son
shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne? Why then does Adonijah reign?’
14Behold, while you yet talk there with the king, I also will come in after you, and
confirm your words. 15Bathsheba went in to the king into the room. The king was
very old; and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the king. 16Bathsheba
bowed, and showed respect to the king. The king said, What would you like? 17She
said to him, My lord, you swore by Yahweh your God to your handmaid,
‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne’.
18Now, behold, Adonijah reigns; and you, my lord the king, don’t know it. 19He has
slain cattle, fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has called all the sons of the king,
and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the army; but he hasn’t called
Solomon your servant. 20You, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, that
you should tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
21Otherwise it will happen, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I
and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders. 22Behold, while she yet talked
with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. 23They told the king, saying, Behold,
Nathan the prophet! When he had come in before the king, he bowed himself
before the king with his face to the ground. 24Nathan said, My lord, king, have you
said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne?’. 25For he is gone
down this day, and has slain cattle and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has
called all the king’s sons, and the captains of the army, and Abiathar the priest.
Behold, they are eating and drinking before him and saying, ‘Long live king
Adonijah!’. 26But he hasn’t called me, even me your servant, and Zadok the priest,
and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon. 27Is this thing done by
my lord the king, and you haven’t shown to your servants who should sit on the
throne of my lord the king after him? 28Then king David answered, Call to me
Bathsheba. She came into the king’s presence, and stood before the king. 29The king
swore and said, As Yahweh lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity,
30most certainly as I swore to you by Yahweh the God of Israel, saying, ‘Assuredly
Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place;’
most certainly so will I do this day. 31Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the
earth, and showed respect to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live
forever! 32King David said, Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. They came before the king. 33The king said to them,
Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride on my
own mule, and bring him down to Gihon. 34Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the
prophet anoint him there king over Israel. Blow the trumpet, and say, ‘Long live
king Solomon!’. 35Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on
my throne; for he shall be king in my place. I have appointed him to be prince over
Israel and over Judah. 36Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said,
Amen. May Yahweh, the God of my lord the king, say so too. 37As Yahweh has
been with my lord the king, even so may He be with Solomon, and make his throne
greater than the throne of my lord king David.
Solomon is Proclaimed King
38So
Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the
Cherethites and the Pelethites, went down and caused Solomon to ride on king
David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon. 39Zadok the priest took the horn of oil out
of the Tent, and anointed Solomon. They blew the trumpet; and all the people said,
Long live king Solomon! 40All the people came up after him, and the people piped
with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth shook with their sound.
41Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they had made an end
of eating. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet he said, Why is this noise of
the city being in an uproar? 42While he yet spoke, behold, Jonathan the son of
Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said, Come in; for you are a worthy man,
and bring good news. 43Jonathan answered Adonijah, Most certainly our lord king
David has made Solomon king. 44The king has sent with him Zadok the priest,
Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the
Pelethites; and they have caused him to ride on the king’s mule. 45Zadok the priest
and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon. They have come up
from there rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that you have
heard. 46Also, Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom. 47Moreover the king’s
servants came to bless our lord king David saying, ‘May your God make the name
of Solomon better than your name, and make his throne greater than your throne’;
and the king bowed himself on the bed. 48Also thus said the king, ‘Blessed be
Yahweh, the God of Israel, who has given one to sit on my throne this day, my eyes
even seeing it.’ 49All the guests of Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and each man
went his way. 50Adonijah feared because of Solomon; and he arose, and went, and
caught hold on the horns of the altar. 51It was told Solomon saying, Behold,
Adonijah fears king Solomon; for, behold, he has laid hold on the horns of the altar,
saying, ‘Let king Solomon swear to me first that he will not kill his servant with the
sword.’ 52Solomon said, If he shows himself a worthy man, not a hair of him shall
fall to the earth; but if wickedness be found in him, he shall die. 53So king Solomon
sent, and they brought him down from the altar. He came and bowed down to king
Solomon; and Solomon said to him, Go to your house.
CHAPTER 2
David Charges Solomon
Now the days of David drew near that he should die; and he commanded Solomon
his son saying, 2I am going the way of all the earth. You be strong therefore, and
show yourself a man; 3and keep the instruction of Yahweh your God, to walk in His
ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances and His
testimonies, according to what is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper
in all that you do, and wherever you turn yourself. 4This is so that Yahweh may
establish His word which He spoke concerning me saying, ‘If your children take
heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their
soul, there shall not fail you,’ He said, ‘a man on the throne of Israel.’ 5Moreover
you know also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, even what he did to the two
captains of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of
Jether, whom he killed, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of
war on his sash that was about his waist, and in his shoes that were on his feet. 6Do
therefore according to your wisdom, and don’t let his gray head go down to Sheol
in peace. 7But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be
of those who eat at your table; for so they came to me when I fled from Absalom
your brother. 8Behold, there is with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite of
Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to
Mahanaim; but he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by
Yahweh saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ 9Now therefore don’t
hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man; and you will know what you ought to
do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down to Sheol with blood. 10David
slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. 11The days that David
reigned over Israel were forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and he
reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
Solomon Destroys his Rivals
12Solomon
sat on the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was firmly
established. 13Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of
Solomon. She said, Do you come peaceably? He said, Peaceably. 14He said
moreover, I have something to tell you. She said, Say on. 15He said, You know that
the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign.
However the kingdom is turned around, and has become my brother’s; for it was
his from Yahweh. 16Now I ask one petition of you. Don’t deny me. She said to him,
Say on. 17He said, Please speak to Solomon the king (for he will not tell you ‘no’),
that he give me Abishag the Shunammite as wife. 18Bathsheba said, Alright. I will
speak for you to the king. 19Bathsheba therefore went to king Solomon, to speak to
him for Adonijah. The king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself to her, and sat
down on his throne, and caused a throne to be set for the king’s mother; and she sat
on his right hand. 20Then she said, I ask one small petition of you; don’t deny me.
The king said to her, Ask on, my mother; for I will not deny you. 21She said, Let
Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as wife. 22King
Solomon answered his mother, Why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for
Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also; for he is my elder brother; even for him,
and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah. 23Then king Solomon
swore by Yahweh saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah has not
spoken this word against his own life. 24Now therefore as Yahweh lives, who has
established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who has made
me a house, as He promised, surely Adonijah shall be put to death this day. 25King
Solomon sent by Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell on him, so that he died.
26To Abiathar the priest the king said, Go to Anathoth, to your own fields; for you
are worthy of death. But I will not at this time put you to death, because you carried
the ark of the Lord Yahweh before David my father, and because you were afflicted
in all in which my father was afflicted. 27So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being
priest to Yahweh, that he might fulfil the word of Yahweh, which He spoke
concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh. 28The news came to Joab; for Joab had turned
after Adonijah, though he didn’t turn after Absalom. Joab fled to the Tent of
Yahweh, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. 29It was told king Solomon, Joab
has fled to the Tent of Yahweh, and behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada saying, Go, fall on him. 30Benaiah came to the Tent of
Yahweh and said to him, Thus says the king, ‘Come forth!’. He said, No; but I will
die here. Benaiah brought the king word again saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he
answered me. 31The king said to him, Do as he has said, and fall on him, and bury
him; that you may take away the blood which Joab shed without cause, from me
and from my father’s house. 32Yahweh will return his blood on his own head,
because he fell on two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with
the sword, and my father David didn’t know it: Abner the son of Ner, captain of the
army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the army of Judah. 33So shall
their blood return on the head of Joab, and on the head of his seed forever. But to
David, and to his seed, and to his house, and to his throne, there shall be peace
forever from Yahweh. 34Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and fell on him,
and killed him; and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness. 35The king
put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his place over the army; and the king put Zadok
the priest in the place of Abiathar. 36The king sent and called for Shimei and said to
him, Build yourself a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and don’t go out from
there anywhere. 37For on the day you go out, and pass over the brook Kidron, know
for certain that you shall surely die: your blood shall be on your own head. 38Shimei
said to the king, The saying is good. As my lord the king has said, so will your
servant do. Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days. 39It happened at the end of three
years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away to Achish, son of Maacah, king of
Gath. They told Shimei saying, Behold, your servants are in Gath. 40Shimei arose,
saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to Achish, to seek his servants; and Shimei
went, and brought his servants from Gath. 41It was told Solomon that Shimei had
gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had come again. 42The king sent and called for
Shimei, and said to him, Didn’t I adjure you by Yahweh and warn you, saying,
‘Know for certain, that on the day you go out, and walk abroad any where, you
shall surely die?’. You said to me, ‘The saying that I have heard is good.’ 43Why
then have you not kept the oath of Yahweh, and the commandment that I have
instructed you with? 44The king said moreover to Shimei, You know all the
wickedness which your heart knows full well, what you did to David my father.
Therefore Yahweh shall return your wickedness on your own head. 45But king
Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before
Yahweh forever. 46So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he
went out, and fell on him, so that he died. The kingdom was established in the hand
of Solomon.
CHAPTER 3
Solomon Asks for Wisdom
Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter,
and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his
own house, and the house of Yahweh, and the wall of Jerusalem all around. 2Only
the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was no house built for the
name of Yahweh until those days. 3Solomon loved Yahweh, walking in the statutes
of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places. 4The
king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place. Solomon
offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5In Gibeon Yahweh appeared to
Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, Ask what I shall give you. 6Solomon
said, You have shown to Your servant David my father great grace, according as he
walked before You in truth, righteousness and in uprightness of heart with You.
You have kept for him this great grace, that You have given him a son to sit on his
throne, as it is this day. 7Now, Yahweh my God, You have made Your servant king
instead of David my father. I am but a little child. I don’t know how to go out or
come in. 8Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a
great people, that can’t be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9Give Your servant
therefore an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between
good and evil; for who is able to judge this Your great people? 10The speech pleased
the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11God said to him, Because you have
asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life, neither have asked riches
for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself
understanding to discern justice; 12behold, I have done according to your word.
Behold, I have already given you a wise and an understanding heart; so that there
has been none like you before you, neither after you shall any arise like you. 13I
have also given you that which you have not asked, both riches and honour, so that
there shall not be any among the kings like you, all your days. 14If you will walk in
My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David
walked, then I will lengthen your days. 15Solomon awoke; and behold, it was a
dream. Then he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of
Yahweh, and offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast
to all his servants.
The Two Prostitutes
16Then
two women who were prostitutes came to the king, and stood before him.
one woman said, Oh my lord, I and this woman live in one house. I delivered
a child with her in the house. 18It happened the third day after I delivered, that this
woman delivered also. We were together. There was no stranger with us in the
house, just us two in the house. 19This woman’s child died in the night, because she
lay on it. 20She arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while your
handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
21When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, it was dead; but when I
had looked at it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, whom I bore. 22The
other woman said, No; but the living is my son, and the dead is your son. The other
said, No; but the dead is your son, and the living is my son. Thus they spoke before
the king. 23Then the king said, The one says, ‘This is my son who lives, and your son
is the dead’; and the other says, ‘No; but your son is the dead one, and my son is the
living one’. 24The king said, Get me a sword. They brought a sword before the king.
25The king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to
17The
the other. 26Then the woman whose the living child was spoke to the king, for her
heart yearned over her son, and she said, Oh my lord, give her the living child, and
in no way kill it! But the other said, It shall be neither mine nor yours. Divide it.
27Then the king answered, Give her the living child, and in no way kill it. She is its
mother. 28All Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they
feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do justice.
CHAPTER 4
The Administration of Solomon’s Kingdom
King Solomon was king over all Israel. 2These were the princes whom he had:
Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest; 3Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha,
scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder; 4Benaiah the son of Jehoiada
was over the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 5Azariah the son of Nathan
was over the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan was chief minister, the king’s friend;
6Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the men
subject to forced labour. 7Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided
food for the king and his household: each man had to make provision for a month
in the year. 8These are their names: Ben Hur, in the hill country of Ephraim; 9Ben
Deker, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan; 10Ben
Hesed, in Arubboth (to him belonged Socoh, and all the land of Hepher); 11Ben
Abinadab, in all the height of Dor (he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as
wife); 12Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth Shean
which is beside Zarethan, beneath Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah, as far
as beyond Jokmeam; 13Ben Geber, in Ramoth Gilead (to him belonged the towns of
Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; to him belonged the region of Argob,
which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars); 14Ahinadab the
son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; 15Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he also took Basemath the
daughter of Solomon as wife); 16Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth;
17Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; 18Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin;
19Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the
Amorites and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer who was in the
land. 20Judah and Israel were many as the sand which is by the sea in multitude,
eating and drinking and making merry. 21Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms
from the River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt: they
brought tribute, and served Solomon all the days of his life. 22Solomon’s provision
for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and sixty measures of meal, 23ten
head of fat cattle, twenty head of cattle out of the pastures, one hundred sheep,
besides harts, gazelles, roebucks and fattened fowl. 24For he had dominion over all
on this side of the River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side
of the River: and he had peace on all sides around him. 25Judah and Israel lived
safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to
Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. 26Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses
for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. 27Those officers provided food for
king Solomon, and for all who came to king Solomon’s table, every man in his
month; they let nothing be lacking. 28Barley also and straw for the horses and swift
steeds brought they to the place where the officers were, each man according to his
duty.
The Wisdom of Solomon
29God
gave Solomon exceeding much wisdom and understanding, and very great
perception, according to the sand which is on the seashore. 30Solomon’s wisdom
excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
31For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol, Darda, the
sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all the nations all around. 32He spoke three
thousand proverbs; and his songs were one thousand and five. 33He spoke of trees,
from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he
spoke also of animals, birds, creeping things and fish. 34There came of all peoples to
hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, who had heard of his
wisdom.
CHAPTER 5
Hiram Cooperates with Solomon to Build the Temple
Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon; for he had heard that they had
anointed him king in the place of his father: for Hiram had always been an admirer
of David. 2Solomon sent to Hiram saying, 3You know how that David my father
could not build a house for the name of Yahweh his God for the wars which were
about him on every side, until Yahweh put his enemies under the soles of his feet.
4But now Yahweh my God has given me rest on every side. There is no adversary
nor any evil occurrence. 5Behold, I purpose to build a house for the name of
Yahweh my God, as Yahweh spoke to David my father saying, ‘Your son, whom I
will set on your throne in your place, he shall build the house for My name.’ 6Now
therefore command that they cut me cedar trees out of Lebanon. My servants shall
be with your servants; and I will give you wages for your servants according to all
that you shall say. For you know that there is not among us any who knows how to
cut timber like the Sidonians. 7It happened, when Hiram heard the words of
Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly and said, Blessed is Yahweh this day, who has
given to David a wise son over this great people. 8Hiram sent to Solomon saying, I
have heard the message which you have sent to me. I will do all your desire
concerning timber of cedar and concerning timber of fir. 9My servants shall bring
them down from Lebanon to the sea. I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the
place that you shall appoint me, and will cause them to be broken up there, and you
shall receive them. You shall accomplish my desire, in giving food for my
household. 10So Hiram gave Solomon timber of cedar and timber of fir according to
all his desire. 11Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food
for his household, and twenty measures of pure oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram
year by year. 12Yahweh had given Solomon wisdom, as He promised him; and
there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a treaty
together. 13King Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty
thousand men. 14He sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses; a
month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home; and Adoniram was over
the men subject to forced labour. 15Solomon had seventy thousand who bore
burdens, and eighty thousand who were stone cutters in the mountains; 16besides
Solomon’s chief officers who were over the work, three thousand three hundred,
who bore rule over the people who laboured in the work. 17The king commanded,
and they cut out great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with
worked stone. 18Solomon’s builders along with Hiram’s builders and the Gebalites
cut them, and prepared the timber and the stones to build the house.
CHAPTER 6
The Plan of the Temple
It happened in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had
come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in
the month Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of
Yahweh. 2The house which king Solomon built for Yahweh, its length was sixty
cubits, and its breadth twenty, and its height thirty cubits. 3The porch before the
temple of the house, twenty cubits was its length, according to the breadth of the
house. Ten cubits was its breadth before the house. 4He made windows of fixed
lattice work for the house. 5Against the wall of the house he built stories all around,
against the walls of the house all around, both of the temple and of the oracle; and
he made side rooms all around. 6The lowest storey was five cubits broad, and the
middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad; for on the
outside he made offsets in the wall of the house all around, so that the supporting
beams should not should not be inserted into the walls of the house. 7The house,
when it was in building, was built of stone prepared at the quarry; and there was
neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in
building. 8The door for the middle side rooms was in the right side of the house:
and they went up by winding stairs into the middle storey, and out of the middle
into the third. 9So he built the house, and finished it; and he covered the house with
beams and planks of cedar. 10He built the stories against the whole house, each five
cubits high: and they were attached to the house by cedar beams. 11The word of
Yahweh came to Solomon saying, 12Concerning this house which you are building,
if you will walk in My statutes, and execute My ordinances, and keep all My
commandments to walk in them; then will I establish My word with you, which I
spoke to David your father. 13I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not
forsake My people Israel. 14So Solomon built the house, and finished it. 15He built
the walls of the house within with boards of cedar: from the floor of the house to
the walls of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood; and he covered
the floor of the house with boards of fir. 16He built twenty cubits on the back part of
the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the ceiling: he built them for it
within, for an inner sanctuary, even for the most holy place. 17In front of the temple
sanctuary was forty cubits. 18There was cedar on the house within, carved with
buds and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen.
The Inner Sanctuary
19He
prepared an inner sanctuary in the midst of the house within, to set there the
ark of the covenant of Yahweh. 20Within the inner sanctuary was twenty cubits in
length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in its height; and he
overlaid it with pure gold: and he covered the altar with cedar. 21So Solomon
overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he drew chains of gold across before
the inner sanctuary; and he overlaid it with gold. 22The whole house he overlaid
with gold, until all the house was finished: also the whole altar that belonged to the
inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold. 23In the inner sanctuary he made two
cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high. 24Five cubits was the one wing of the
cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the
one wing to the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits. 25The other cherub was
ten cubits: both the cherubim were of one measure and one form. 26The height of
the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub. 27He set the
cherubim within the inner house; and the wings of the cherubim were stretched
forth, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other
cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of
the house. 28He overlaid the cherubim with gold. 29He carved all the walls of the
house around with carved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers,
inside and outside. 30The floor of the house he overlaid with gold, inside and
outside. 31For the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood: the
lintel and door posts were a fifth part of the wall. 32So he made two doors of olive
wood; and he carved on them carvings of cherubim and palm trees and open
flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he spread the gold on the cherubim, and
on the palm trees. 33In the same way he also made for the entrance of the temple
door posts of olive wood, out of a fourth part of the wall; 34and two doors of fir
wood: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other
door were folding. 35He carved cherubim and palm trees and open flowers; and he
overlaid them with gold fitted on the engraved work. 36He built the inner court
with three courses of cut stone, and a course of cedar beams. 37In the fourth year
was the foundation of the house of Yahweh laid, in the month Ziv. 38In the eleventh
year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished
throughout all its parts, and according to all its fashion. Thus he was seven years in
building it.
CHAPTER 7
Solomon’s House
Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.
2For he built the house of the forest of Lebanon; its length was one hundred cubits,
and its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits, on four rows of cedar
pillars, with cedar beams on the pillars. 3It was covered with cedar above over the
forty-five beams, that were on the pillars; fifteen in a row. 4There were beams in
three rows, and window was over against window in three ranks. 5All the doors
and posts were made square with beams: and window was opposite window in
three tiers. 6He made the porch of pillars; its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth
thirty cubits; and a porch before them; and pillars and a threshold before them. 7He
made the porch of the throne where he was to judge, even the porch of judgment:
and it was covered with cedar from floor to floor. 8His house where he was to
dwell, the other court within the porch, was of the same work. He made also a
house for Pharaoh’s daughter (whom Solomon had taken as wife), like this porch.
9All these were of costly stones, even of cut stone, according to measure, sawed
with saws, inside and outside, even from the foundation to the coping, and so on
the outside to the great court. 10The foundation was of costly stones, even great
stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits. 11Above were costly stones,
even cut stone, according to measure, and cedar wood. 12The great court around
had three courses of cut stone, and a course of cedar beams; like as the inner court
of the house of Yahweh, and the porch of the house.
The Two Pillars and Laver
13King
Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre. 14He was the son of a widow of
the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass; and he
was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill, to work all works in brass. He
came to king Solomon, and performed all his work. 15For he fashioned the two
pillars of brass, eighteen cubits high apiece: and a line of twelve cubits encircled
both of them around. 16He made two capitals of molten brass, to set on the tops of
the pillars: the height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other
capital was five cubits. 17There were nets of chequer work, and wreaths of chain
work, for the capitals which were on the top of the pillars; seven for the one capital,
and seven for the other capital. 18So he made the pillars; and there were two rows
around on the one network, to cover the capitals that were on the top of the pillars:
and he did so for the other capital. 19The capitals that were on the top of the pillars
in the porch were of lily work, four cubits. 20There were capitals above also on the
two pillars, close by the belly which was beside the network: and the pomegranates
were two hundred, in rows around on the other capital. 21He set up the pillars at the
porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called its name Jachin; and
he set up the left pillar, and called its name Boaz. 22On the top of the pillars was lily
work: so was the work of the pillars finished. 23He made the molten sea of ten
cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and its height was five cubits; and a
line of thirty cubits encircled it. 24Under its brim around there were buds which
encircled it, for ten cubits, encircling the sea: the buds were in two rows, cast when
it was cast. 25It stood on twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, three looking
toward the west, three looking toward the south and three looking toward the east;
and the sea was set on them above, and all their hinder parts were inward. 26It was
a handbreadth thick: and its brim was worked like the brim of a cup, like the flower
of a lily: it held two thousand baths. 27He made the ten bases of brass; four cubits
was the length of one base, and four cubits its breadth, and three cubits its height.
28The work of the bases was like this: they had panels; and there were panels
between the ledges; 29and on the panels that were between the ledges were lions,
oxen, and cherubim; and on the ledges there was a pedestal above; and beneath the
lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work. 30Every base had four bronze
wheels, and axles of brass; and the four feet of it had supports: beneath the basin
were the supports molten, with wreaths at the side of each. 31The mouth of it within
the capital and above was a cubit: and its mouth was round after the work of a
pedestal, a cubit and a half; and also on its mouth were engravings, and their
panels were foursquare, not round. 32The four wheels were underneath the panels;
and the axles of the wheels were in the base: and the height of a wheel was a cubit
and half a cubit. 33The work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel: their
axles, and their rims, and their spokes, and their naves, were all molten. 34There
were four supports at the four corners of each base: its supports were of the base
itself. 35In the top of the base was there a round compass half a cubit high; and on
the top of the base its stays and its panels were of the same. 36On the plates of its
stays, and on its panels, he engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, according to
the space of each, with wreaths all around. 37In this way, he made the ten bases: all
of them had one casting, one measure, and one form. 38He made ten basins of brass:
one basin contained forty baths; and every basin was four cubits; and on every one
of the ten bases one basin. 39He set the bases, five on the right side of the house, and
five on the left side of the house: and he set the sea on the right side of the house
eastward, toward the south. 40Hiram made the basins, and the shovels, and the
basins. So Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he worked for king
Solomon in the house of Yahweh: 41the two pillars, and the two bowls of the
capitals that were on the top of the pillars; and the two networks to cover the two
bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; 42and the four hundred
pomegranates for the two networks; two rows of pomegranates for each network,
to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars; 43and the ten bases,
and the ten basins on the bases; 44and the one sea, and the twelve oxen under the
sea; 45and the pots, and the shovels, and the basins: even all these vessels, which
Hiram made for king Solomon, in the house of Yahweh, were of burnished brass.
46The king cast them in the plain of the Jordan, in the clay ground between Succoth
and Zarethan. 47Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were
exceeding many: the weight of the brass could not be found out.
The Utensils for the Temple
48Solomon
made all the vessels that were in the house of Yahweh: the golden altar,
and the table whereupon the show bread was, of gold; 49and the lampstands, five
on the right side, and five on the left, before the oracle, of pure gold; and the
flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, of gold; 50and the cups, and the snuffers, and
the basins, and the spoons, and the fire pans, of pure gold; and the hinges, both for
the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, of
the temple, of gold. 51Thus all the work that king Solomon worked in the house of
Yahweh was finished. Solomon brought in the things which David his father had
dedicated, the silver, the gold and the vessels, and put them in the treasuries of the
house of Yahweh.
CHAPTER 8
The Temple is Dedicated
Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the
princes of the fathers’ households of the children of Israel, to king Solomon in
Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of the city of David,
which is Zion. 2All the men of Israel assembled themselves to king Solomon at the
feast, in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. 3All the elders of Israel
came, and the priests took up the ark. 4They brought up the ark of Yahweh, and the
Tent of Meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; even these the
priests and the Levites brought up. 5King Solomon and all the congregation of
Israel who were assembled to him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep
and cattle, that could not be counted nor numbered for multitude. 6The priests
brought in the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to its place, into the oracle of the
house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim. 7For the
cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim
covered the ark and its poles above. 8The poles were so long that the ends of the
poles were seen from the holy place before the inner sanctuary; but they were not
seen outside: and there they are to this day. 9There was nothing in the ark except
the two tables of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when Yahweh made a
covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. 10It
came to pass, when the priests had come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled
the house of Yahweh, 11so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of
the cloud; for the glory of Yahweh filled the house of Yahweh.
Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication
12Then
Solomon said, Yahweh has said that He would dwell in the thick darkness.
have surely built You a house of habitation, a place for You to dwell in forever.
14The king turned his face about, and blessed all the assembly of Israel: and all the
13I
assembly of Israel stood. 15He said, Blessed is Yahweh, the God of Israel, who spoke
with His mouth to David my father, and has with His hand fulfilled it, saying,
16‘Since the day that I brought My people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of
all the tribes of Israel to build a house that My name might be there; but I chose
David to be over My people Israel.’ 17Now it was with the heart of David my father
to build a house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. 18But Yahweh said to
David my father, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you
did well that it was in your heart. 19Nevertheless, you shall not build the house; but
your son who shall come forth out of your body, he shall build the house for My
name.’ 20Yahweh has established His word that He spoke; for I have risen up in the
place of David my father, and I sit on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised, and
have built the house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. 21There I have set a
place for the ark, in which is the covenant of Yahweh which He made with our
fathers when He brought them out of the land of Egypt. 22Solomon stood before the
altar of Yahweh in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his
hands toward heaven; 23and he said, Yahweh, the God of Israel, there is no God like
You in heaven above nor on earth beneath; who keeps covenant and grace with
Your servants who walk before You with all their heart; 24who has kept with Your
servant David my father that which You promised him. Yes, You spoke with Your
mouth, and have fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. 25Now therefore, may
Yahweh, the God of Israel, keep with Your servant David my father that which You
have promised him saying, ‘There shall not fail you a man in My sight to sit on the
throne of Israel, if only your children take heed to their way, to walk before Me as
you have walked before Me.’ 26Now therefore, God of Israel, please let Your word
be verified, which You spoke to Your servant David my father. 27But will God in
very deed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can’t
contain You; how much less this house that I have built! 28Yet have respect for the
prayer of Your servant, and for his supplication, Yahweh my God, to listen to the
cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You this day; 29that Your
eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which
You have said, ‘My name shall be there;’ to listen to the prayer which Your servant
shall pray toward this place. 30Listen to the supplication of Your servant, and of
Your people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place. Yes, hear in heaven,
Your dwelling place; and when You hear, forgive. 31If a man sins against his
neighbour, and an oath is laid on him to cause him to swear, and he comes and
swears before Your altar in this house; 32then hear in heaven, and do, and judge
Your servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head, and
justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness. 33When Your
people Israel are struck down before the enemy, because they have sinned against
You; if they turn again to You, and confess Your name, and pray and make
supplication to You in this house: 34then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your
people Israel, and bring them again to the land which You gave to their fathers.
35When the sky is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against
You; if they pray toward this place, and confess Your name, and turn from their sin,
when You afflict them: 36then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants,
and of Your people Israel, when You teach them the good way in which they
should walk; and send rain on Your land, which You have given to Your people for
an inheritance. 37If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight,
mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities;
whatever plague, whatever sickness there is; 38whatever prayer and supplication is
made by any man, or by all Your people Israel, who shall each know the plague of
his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house: 39then hear in heaven,
Your dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and render to every man according to all
his ways, whose heart You know; (for You, even You only, know the hearts of all
the children of men;) 40that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land
which You gave to our fathers. 41Moreover concerning the foreigner, who is not of
Your people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for Your name’s sake
42(for they shall hear of Your great name, and of Your mighty hand, and of Your
outstretched arm); when he shall come and pray toward this house; 43hear in
heaven, Your dwelling place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to You
for; that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to fear You, as do Your
people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called
by Your name. 44If Your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever
way You shall send them, and they pray to Yahweh toward the city which You
have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for Your name; 45then hear in
heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. 46If they sin
against You (for there is no man who doesn’t sin), and You are angry with them,
and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive to the land of
the enemy, far off or near; 47yet if they shall repent in the land where they are
carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to You in the land of those
who carried them captive, saying, ‘We have sinned, and have done perversely; we
have dealt wickedly;’ 48if they return to You with all their heart and with all their
soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to You
towards their land, which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have
chosen, and the house which I have built for Your name: 49then hear their prayer
and their supplication in heaven, your dwelling place, and maintain their cause;
50and forgive Your people who have sinned against You, and all their
transgressions in which they have transgressed against You; and give them
compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion
on them 51(for they are Your people, and Your inheritance, which You brought out
of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron); 52that Your eyes may be open to the
supplication of Your servant, and to the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen
to them whenever they cry to You. 53For You separated them from among all the
peoples of the earth to be Your inheritance, as You spoke by Moses Your servant,
when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, Lord Yahweh.
A Final Dedication
54It
was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and
supplication to Yahweh, he arose from before the altar of Yahweh, from kneeling
on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven. 55He stood, and blessed all
the assembly of Israel with a loud voice saying, 56Blessed be Yahweh, who has
given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not
failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised by Moses His servant.
57May Yahweh our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. Let Him not leave
us, nor forsake us; 58that He may incline our hearts to Him, to walk in all His ways,
and to keep His commandments, His statutes and his ordinances which He
commanded our fathers. 59Let these my words, with which I have made
supplication before Yahweh, be near to Yahweh our God day and night, that He
may maintain the cause of His servant, and the cause of His people Israel, as each
day shall require; 60that all the peoples of the earth may know that Yahweh, He is
God. There is none else. 61Let your heart therefore be perfect with Yahweh our God,
to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as you do at this day. 62The
king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before Yahweh. 63Solomon offered for
the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to Yahweh, twenty two thousand
head of cattle, and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the
children of Israel dedicated the house of Yahweh. 64The same day the king made
the middle of the court holy that was before the house of Yahweh; for there he
offered the burnt offering, and the meal offering, and the fat of the peace offerings,
because the bronze altar that was before Yahweh was too little to receive the burnt
offering, the meal offering, and the fat of the peace offerings. 65So Solomon held the
feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly, from the entrance of
Hamath to the brook of Egypt, before Yahweh our God, seven days and seven days,
even fourteen days. 66On the eighth day he sent the people away; and they blessed
the king, and went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that
Yahweh had shown to David His servant, and to Israel His people.
CHAPTER 9
God Warns Solomon
It happened, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of Yahweh, and
the king’s house, and all Solomon’s desire which he was pleased to do, 2that
Yahweh appeared to Solomon the second time, as He had appeared to him at
Gibeon. 3Yahweh said to him, I have heard your prayer and your supplication, that
you have made before Me. I have made this house holy, which you have built, to
put My name there forever; and My eyes and My heart shall be there constantly.
4As for you, if you will walk before Me, as David your father walked, in integrity of
heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and
will keep My statutes and My ordinances; 5then I will establish the throne of your
kingdom over Israel forever, according as I promised to David your father saying,
‘There shall not fail you a man on the throne of Israel.’ 6But if you turn away from
following Me, you or your children, and don’t keep My commandments and My
statutes which I have set before you, but shall go and serve other gods, and worship
them; 7then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this
house, which I have made holy for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel
shall be a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 8Though this house is so high,
yet shall everyone who passes by it be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say,
‘Why has Yahweh done thus to this land, and to this house?’; 9and they shall
answer, ‘Because they forsook Yahweh their God, who brought their fathers out of
the land of Egypt, and laid hold of other gods, and worshiped them, and served
them. Therefore Yahweh has brought all this evil on them.’ 10It happened at the end
of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the two houses, the house of Yahweh
and the king’s house 11(now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with
cedar trees and fir trees, and with gold, according to all his desire), that then king
Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. 12Hiram came out from
Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him; and they didn’t please him.
13He said, What cities are these which you have given me, my brother? He called
them the land of Cabul to this day. 14Hiram sent to the king one hundred and
twenty talents of gold.
Solomon Strengthens his Kingdom
15This
is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised, to build the house of
Yahweh, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and
Megiddo, and Gezer. 16Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and
burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites who lived in the city, and given it for a
portion to his daughter, Solomon’s wife. 17Solomon built Gezer, and Beth Horon the
lower, 18and Baalath, and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land, 19and all the storage
cities that Solomon had, and the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his
horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem,
and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. 20As for all the people who
were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites,
who were not of the children of Israel; 21their children who were left after them in
the land, whom the children of Israel were not able utterly to destroy, of them
Solomon raised a levy of bondservants to this day. 22But of the children of Israel
Solomon made no bondservants; but they were the men of war, and his servants,
and his princes, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots and of his horsemen.
23These were the chief officers who were over Solomon’s work, five hundred and
fifty, who bore rule over the people who laboured in the work. 24But Pharaoh’s
daughter came up out of the city of David to her house which Solomon had built
for her: then he built Millo. 25Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings
on the altar which he built to Yahweh three times a year, burning incense with
them, on the altar that was before Yahweh. So he finished the house. 26King
Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezion Geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore
of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom. 27Hiram sent in the navy his servants, sailors
who had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon. 28They came to
Ophir, and fetched from there gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought
it to king Solomon.
CHAPTER 10
The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon
When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of
Yahweh, she came to prove him with hard questions. 2She came to Jerusalem with a
very great train, with camels that carried spices, and very much gold and precious
stones; and when she had come to Solomon, she talked with him of all that was in
her heart. 3Solomon told her all her questions: there was not anything hidden from
the king which he didn’t tell her. 4When the queen of Sheba had seen all the
wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, 5and the food of his table, and
the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their clothing,
and his cup bearers, and his ascent by which he went up to the house of Yahweh;
there was no more spirit in her. 6She said to the king, It was a true report that I
heard in my own land of your acts, and of your wisdom. 7However I didn’t believe
the words, until I came, and my eyes had seen it. Behold, the half was not told me!
Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard. 8Happy are your men,
happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you, who hear your
wisdom. 9Blessed is Yahweh your God, who delighted in you, to set you on the
throne of Israel. Because Yahweh loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king,
to do justice and righteousness. 10She gave the king one hundred and twenty talents
of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones. There came no more
such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
11The navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir
great plenty of almug trees and precious stones. 12The king made of the almug trees
pillars for the house of Yahweh, and for the king’s house, harps also and stringed
instruments for the singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen, to this
day. 13King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked,
besides that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned, and went
to her own land, she and her servants.
Solomon’s Wealth
14Now
the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and
sixty-six talents of gold, 15besides that which the traders brought, and the traffic of
the merchants, and of all the kings of the mixed people, and of the governors of the
country. 16King Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold; six hundred
shekels of gold went to one buckler. 17he made three hundred shields of beaten
gold; three minas of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of
the forest of Lebanon. 18Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and
overlaid it with the finest gold. 19There were six steps to the throne, and the top of
the throne was round behind; and there were stays on either side by the place of the
seat, and two lions standing beside the stays. 20Twelve lions stood there on the one
side and on the other on the six steps: there was nothing like it made in any
kingdom. 21All king Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of
the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was
nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon. 22For the king had at sea a navy of
Tarshish with the navy of Hiram: once every three years came the navy of Tarshish,
bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. 23So king Solomon
exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. 24All the earth sought
the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
25They brought every man his tribute, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and
clothing, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year. 26Solomon
gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred
chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he placed in the chariot cities, and
with the king at Jerusalem. 27The king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and
cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland, for abundance.
28The horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt; and the king’s
merchants received them in droves, each drove at a price. 29A chariot came up and
went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for one hundred
and fifty; and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, they
brought them out by their traders.
CHAPTER 11
Solomon Turns Away from God
Now king Solomon loved many foreign women, together with the daughter of
Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites;
2of the nations concerning which Yahweh said to the children of Israel, You shall
not go among them, neither shall they come among you; for surely they will turn
away your heart after their gods. Solomon joined to these in love. 3He had seven
hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned
away his heart. 4For it happened, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned
away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not perfect with Yahweh his
God, as was the heart of David his father. 5For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the
goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
6Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and didn’t go fully after
Yahweh, as did David his father. 7Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the
abomination of Moab, on the mountain that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the
abomination of the children of Ammon. 8So he did for all his foreign wives, who
burnt incense and sacrificed to their gods. 9Yahweh was angry with Solomon,
because his heart was turned away from Yahweh, the God of Israel, who had
appeared to him twice, 10and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he
should not go after other gods: but he didn’t keep that which Yahweh commanded.
11Therefore Yahweh said to Solomon, Because this is done by you, and you have not
kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear
the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant. 12Notwithstanding I will
not do it in your days, for David your father’s sake; but I will tear it out of the hand
of your son. 13However I will not tear away all the kingdom; but I will give one
tribe to your son, for David My servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I
have chosen.
Solomon’s Adversaries
14Yahweh
raised up an adversary to Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the
king’s seed in Edom. 15For it happened, when David was in Edom, and Joab the
captain of the army was gone up to bury the slain, and had struck every male in
Edom 16(for Joab and all Israel remained there six months, until he had cut off every
male in Edom); 17that Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father’s servants
with him, to go into Egypt, Hadad being yet a little child. 18They arose out of
Midian, and came to Paran; and they took men with them out of Paran, and they
came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house, and appointed
him food, and gave him land. 19Hadad found great favour in the sight of Pharaoh,
so that he gave him as wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the
queen. 20The sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes
weaned in Pharaoh’s house; and Genubath was in Pharaoh’s house among the sons
of Pharaoh. 21When Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and
that Joab the captain of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, Let me depart,
that I may go to my own country. 22Then Pharaoh said to him, But what have you
lacked with me, that behold, you seek to go to your own country? He answered,
Nothing, however please only let me depart. 23God raised up an adversary to him,
Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah. 24He
gathered men to him, and became captain over a troop, when David killed them of
Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and lived therein, and reigned in Damascus.
25He was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, besides the mischief of
Hadad: and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.
Ahijah’s Prophecy
26Jeroboam
the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, a servant of Solomon,
whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, he also lifted up his hand against the
king. 27This was the reason why he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon
built Millo, and repaired the breach of the city of David his father. 28The man
Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour; and Solomon saw the young man that he
was industrious, and he put him in charge of all the labour of the house of Joseph.
29It happened at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet
Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; now Ahijah had clad himself with a new
garment; and they two were alone in the field. 30Ahijah laid hold of the new
garment that was on him, and tore it in twelve pieces. 31He said to Jeroboam, Take
ten pieces; for thus says Yahweh the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom
out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to you 32(but he shall have one
tribe, for My servant David’s sake and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have
chosen out of all the tribes of Israel); 33because they have forsaken Me, and have
worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and
Milcom the god of the children of Ammon. They have not walked in My ways, to
do that which is right in My eyes, and to keep My statutes and My ordinances, as
David his father did. 34However I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand;
but I will make him prince all the days of his life, for David My servant’s sake
whom I chose, who kept My commandments and My statutes; 35but I will take the
kingdom out of his son’s hand, and will give it to you, even ten tribes. 36To his son
will I give one tribe, that David My servant may have a lamp always before Me in
Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Me to put My name there. 37I will take
you, and you shall reign according to all that your soul desires, and shall be king
over Israel. 38It shall be, if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in
My ways, and do that which is right in My eyes, to keep My statutes and My
commandments, as David My servant did; that I will be with you, and will build
you a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you. 39I will for this
afflict the seed of David, but not forever.’ 40Solomon sought therefore to kill
Jeroboam; but Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and
was in Egypt until the death of Solomon. 41Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, and
all that he did, and his wisdom, aren’t they written in the book of the acts of
Solomon? 42The time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty
years. 43Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his
father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.
CHAPTER 12
The People Complain to Rehoboam
Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.
2It happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt,
where he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam therefore
lived in Egypt; 3and they sent and called him), that Jeroboam and all the assembly
of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam saying, 4Your father made our yoke
grievous: now therefore make the grievous service of your father, and his heavy
yoke which he put on us, lighter, and we will serve you. 5He said to them, Depart
for three days, then come back to me. The people departed. 6King Rehoboam took
advice with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet
lived, saying, What advice do you give me to return answer to this people? 7They
spoke to him saying, If you will be a servant to this people this day, and will serve
them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your
servants forever. 8But he forsook the advice of the old men which they had given
him, and took advice with the young men who had grown up with him, who stood
before him. 9He said to them, What advice do you give, that we may return answer
to this people, who have spoken to me saying, ‘Make the yoke that your father put
on us lighter?’. 10The young men who had grown up with him spoke to him saying,
Thus you shall tell this people who spoke to you saying, ‘Your father made our
yoke heavy, but make it lighter to us;’ you shall say to them, ‘My little finger is
thicker than my father’s waist. 11Now whereas my father burdened you with a
heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will
chastise you with scorpions.’ 12So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam
the third day, as the king asked, saying, Come to me again the third day. 13The king
answered the people roughly, and forsook the advice of the old men which they
had given him, 14and spoke to them according to the advice of the young men,
saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father
chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 15So the king
didn’t listen to the people; for it was a thing brought about of Yahweh, that He
might establish His word which Yahweh spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam
the son of Nebat.
The Division of the Kingdom
16When
all Israel saw that the king didn’t listen to them, the people answered the
king saying, What portion have we in David? Neither do we have an inheritance in
the son of Jesse. To your tents, Israel! Now see to your own house, David. So Israel
departed to their tents. 17But as for the children of Israel who lived in the cities of
Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who
was over the men subject to forced labour; and all Israel stoned him to death with
stones. King Rehoboam made speed to get himself up to his chariot, to flee to
Jerusalem. 19So Israel rebelled against the house of David to this day. 20It happened,
when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was returned, that they sent and called him to
the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none who followed
the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only. 21When Rehoboam had come to
Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, a
hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the
house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. 22But
the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God saying, 23Speak to Rehoboam
the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and
to the rest of the people saying, 24‘Thus says Yahweh, You shall not go up, nor fight
against your brothers, the children of Israel. Everyone return to his house; for this
thing is of Me.’ So they listened to the word of Yahweh, and returned and went
their way, according to the word of Yahweh. 25Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the
hill country of Ephraim, and lived in it; and he went out from there, and built
Penuel. 26Jeroboam said in his heart, Now the kingdom will return to the house of
David. 27If this people goes up to offer sacrifices in the house of Yahweh at
Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, even to
Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me, and return to Rehoboam king of
Judah. 28Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he
said to them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look and see your gods,
Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt! 29He set the one in Bethel,
and the other he put in Dan. 30This thing became a sin; for the people went to
worship before the one, even to Dan. 31He made houses on high places, and made
priests from among all the people, who were not of the sons of Levi. 32Jeroboam
ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the
feast that is in Judah, and he went up to the altar; he did so in Bethel, sacrificing to
the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places
that he had made. 33He went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the
fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his
own heart: and he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and went up to the
altar, to burn incense.
CHAPTER 13
A Man of God Condemns Jeroboam
Behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of Yahweh to Beth El:
and Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense. 2He cried against the altar
by the word of Yahweh and said, Altar, altar, thus says Yahweh: ‘Behold, a son
shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name. On you he shall sacrifice the
priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and they will burn men’s bones
on you.’ 3He gave a sign the same day saying, This is the sign which Yahweh has
spoken: Behold, the altar will be split apart, and the ashes that are on it will be
poured out. 4It happened, when the king heard the saying of the man of God which
he cried against the altar in Bethel, that Jeroboam put out his hand from the altar,
saying, Seize him! His hand, which he put out against him, dried up, so that he
could not draw it back again to himself. 5The altar also was split apart, and the
ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had
given by the word of Yahweh. 6The king answered the man of God, Now entreat
the favour of Yahweh your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to
me again. The man of God entreated Yahweh, and the king’s hand was restored
him again, and became as it was before. 7The king said to the man of God, Come
home with me, and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward. 8The man of God
said to the king, Even if you gave me half of your house, I would not go in with
you, neither would I eat bread nor drink water in this place; 9for so was it
commanded me by the word of Yahweh saying, ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink
water, neither return by the way that you came.’ 10So he went another way, and
didn’t return by the way that he came to Bethel.
The Man of God is Disobedient and Punished
11Now
there lived an old prophet in Bethel; and one of his sons came and told him
all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel. They also told their
father the words which he had spoken to the king. 12Their father said to them,
Which way did he go? Now his sons had seen which way the man of God went,
who came from Judah. 13He said to his sons, Saddle the donkey for me. So they
saddled the donkey for him; and he rode on it. 14He went after the man of God, and
found him sitting under an oak. He said to him, Are you the man of God who came
from Judah? He said, I am. 15Then he said to him, Come home with me, and eat
bread. 16He said, I may not return with you, nor go in with you; neither will I eat
bread nor drink water with you in this place. 17For it was said to me by the word of
Yahweh, ‘You shall eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the
way that you came.’ 18He said to him, I also am a prophet as you are; and an angel
spoke to me by the word of Yahweh, saying, ‘Bring him back with you into your
house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’ He lied to him. 19So he went back
with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water. 20It happened, as they sat at
the table, that the word of Yahweh came to the prophet who brought him back;
21and he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, Thus says Yahweh,
‘Because you have been disobedient to the mouth of Yahweh, and have not kept the
commandment which Yahweh your God commanded you, 22but came back, and
have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which He said to you, Eat no
bread, and drink no water; your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.’
23It happened, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled the
donkey for the prophet whom he had brought back. 24When he had gone, a lion met
him by the way, and killed him. His body was cast in the way, and the donkey
stood by it. The lion also stood by the body. 25Behold, men passed by, and saw the
body cast in the way, and the lion standing by the body; and they came and told it
in the city where the old prophet lived. 26When the prophet who brought him back
from the way heard of it, he said, It is the man of God who was disobedient to the
mouth of Yahweh. Therefore Yahweh has delivered him to the lion, which has
mauled him and slain him, according to the word of Yahweh, which He spoke to
him. 27He spoke to his sons saying, Saddle the donkey for me. They saddled it. 28He
went and found his body cast in the way, and the donkey and the lion standing by
the body. The lion had not eaten the body, nor mauled the donkey. 29The prophet
took up the body of the man of God, and laid it on the donkey, and brought it back.
He came to the city of the old prophet to mourn, and to bury him. 30He laid his
body in his own grave; and they mourned over him saying, Alas, my brother! 31It
happened, after he had buried him, that he spoke to his sons saying, When I am
dead, then bury me in the tomb in which the man of God is buried. Lay my bones
beside his bones. 32For the saying which he cried by the word of Yahweh against
the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the
cities of Samaria, will surely happen. 33After this thing Jeroboam didn’t return from
his evil way, but again made priests of the high places from among all the people.
Whoever wanted to, he consecrated him, that there might be priests of the high
places. 34This thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to
destroy it from off the surface of the earth.
CHAPTER 14
Abijah’s Prophecy against Jeroboam
At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. 2Jeroboam said to his wife, Please
get up and disguise yourself, that you won’t be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam.
Go to Shiloh. Behold, there is Ahijah the prophet, who spoke concerning me that I
should be king over this people. 3Take with you ten loaves, cakes and a jar of
honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will become of the child. 4Jeroboam’s
wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. Now
Ahijah could not see; for his eyes were set by reason of his age. 5Yahweh said to
Ahijah, Behold, the wife of Jeroboam comes to inquire of you concerning her son;
for he is sick. Thus and thus you shall tell her; for it will be, when she comes in, that
she will pretend to be another woman. 6It was so, when Ahijah heard the sound of
her feet, as she came in at the door, that he said, Come in, you wife of Jeroboam!
Why do you pretend to be another? For I am sent to you with heavy news. 7Go, tell
Jeroboam, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: Because I exalted you from among
the people, and made you prince over My people Israel, 8and tore the kingdom
away from the house of David, and gave it you; and yet you have not been as My
servant David who kept My commandments, and who followed Me with all his
heart, to do only that which was right in My eyes, 9but you have done evil above all
who were before you, and have gone and made you other gods and molten images,
to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back: 10therefore, behold, I
will bring evil on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every
male, he who is shut up and he who is left at large in Israel, and will utterly sweep
away the house of Jeroboam, as a man sweeps away dung, until it is all gone. 11He
who dies of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat; and he who dies in the field
shall the birds of the sky eat: for Yahweh has spoken it.’ 12Arise therefore, and go to
your house. When your feet enter into the city, the child shall die. 13All Israel shall
mourn for him, and bury him; for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave,
because in him there is found some good thing toward Yahweh, the God of Israel,
in the house of Jeroboam. 14Moreover Yahweh will raise Him up a king over Israel,
who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam. This is the day! What? Even now. 15For
Yahweh will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and He will root up Israel
out of this good land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond
the River, because they have made their Asherim, provoking Yahweh to anger.
16He will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he has sinned, and
with which he has made Israel to sin.
The Death of Jeroboam
17Jeroboam’s
wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah. As she came to the
threshold of the house, the child died. 18All Israel buried him and mourned for him,
according to the word of Yahweh, which He spoke by His servant Ahijah the
prophet. 19The rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he warred and how he reigned,
behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. 20The
days which Jeroboam reigned were twenty two years: and he slept with his fathers,
and Nadab his son reigned in his place.
Rehoboam’s Reign
21Rehoboam
the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years
old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city
which Yahweh had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there: and
his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess. 22Judah did that which was evil
in the sight of Yahweh, and they provoked Him to jealousy with their sins which
they committed, above all that their fathers had done. 23For they also built
themselves high places, and pillars and Asherim on every high hill, and under
every green tree; 24and there were also sodomites in the land: they did according to
all the abominations of the nations which Yahweh drove out before the children of
Israel. 25It happened in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt
came up against Jerusalem; 26and he took away the treasures of the house of
Yahweh, and the treasures of the king’s house; he even took away all: and he took
away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made. 27King Rehoboam made in
their place shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the
guard, who kept the door of the king’s house. 28It was so, that as often as the king
went into the house of Yahweh, the guard bore them, and brought them back into
the guard room. 29Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did, aren’t
they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 30There was war
between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. 31Rehoboam slept with his fathers,
and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and his mother’s name was
Naamah the Ammonitess. Abijam his son reigned in his place.
CHAPTER 15
Abijam’s Reign
Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat began Abijam to
reign over Judah. 2He reigned three years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was
Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 3He walked in all the sins of his father, which
he had done before him; and his heart was not perfect with Yahweh his God, as the
heart of David his father. 4Nevertheless for David’s sake, Yahweh his God gave him
a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem; 5because
David did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, and didn’t turn aside from
anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except only in the matter
of Uriah the Hittite. 6Now there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the
days of his life. 7The rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, aren’t they
written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? There was war between
Abijam and Jeroboam. 8Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the
city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his place.
Asa’s Reign
9In
the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Asa to reign over Judah.
reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Maacah the
daughter of Abishalom. 11Asa did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, as
did David his father. 12He put away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all
the idols that his fathers had made. 13Also Maacah his mother he removed from
being queen, because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah; and Asa
cut down her image, and burnt it at the brook Kidron. 14But the high places were
not taken away: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect with Yahweh all his days.
15He brought into the house of Yahweh the things that his father had dedicated, and
the things that himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels. 16There was war
between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. 17Baasha king of Israel went
up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might not allow anyone to go out or
come in to Asa king of Judah. 18Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were
left in the treasures of the house of Yahweh, and the treasures of the king’s house,
and delivered them into the hand of his servants; and king Asa sent them to Ben
Hadad son of Tabrimmon son of Hezion, king of Syria, who lived at Damascus,
saying, 19There is a treaty between me and you, between my father and your father.
Behold, I have sent to you a present of silver and gold. Go, break your treaty with
Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me. 20Ben Hadad listened to king
Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel, and struck Ijon,
Dan, Abel Beth Maacah and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. 21It
happened, when Baasha heard of it, that he left off building Ramah, and lived in
Tirzah. 22Then king Asa made a proclamation to all Judah; none was exempted: and
they carried away the stones of Ramah, and its timber, with which Baasha had
built; and king Asa built therewith Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah. 23Now the rest of
all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he
built, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? But in
the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet. 24Asa slept with his fathers, and
was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and Jehoshaphat his son
reigned in his place.
10He
Nadab’s Reign
25Nadab
the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa
king of Judah; and he reigned over Israel two years. 26He did that which was evil in
the sight of Yahweh, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin with which
he made Israel to sin. 27Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired
against him; and Baasha struck him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the
Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon. 28Even in the
third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha killed him, and reigned in his place. 29It
happened that, as soon as he was king, he struck all the house of Jeroboam: he
didn’t leave to Jeroboam any who breathed, until he had destroyed him; according
to the saying of Yahweh which He spoke by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite; 30for
the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and with which he made Israel to sin,
because of his provocation with which he provoked Yahweh the God of Israel, to
anger. 31Now the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did, aren’t they written in
the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 32There was war between Asa and
Baasha king of Israel all their days. 33In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha
the son of Ahijah began to reign over all Israel in Tirzah for twenty-four years. 34He
did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and walked in the way of Jeroboam,
and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin.
CHAPTER 16
The Destruction of Baasha’s Family
The word of Yahweh came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,
2Because I exalted you out of the dust, and made you prince over My people Israel,
and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam, and have made My people Israel to
sin, to provoke Me to anger with their sins; 3behold, I will utterly sweep away
Baasha and his house; and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the
son of Nebat. 4The dogs will eat Baasha’s descendants who die in the city; and he
who dies of his in the field- the birds of the sky will eat. 5Now the rest of the acts of
Baasha, and what he did, and his might, aren’t they written in the book of the
chronicles of the kings of Israel? 6Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in
Tirzah; and Elah his son reigned in his place. 7Moreover by the prophet Jehu the
son of Hanani came the word of Yahweh against Baasha, and against his house,
both because of all the evil that he did in the sight of Yahweh, to provoke Him to
anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because
he struck him. 8In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of
Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah for two years. 9His servant Zimri,
captain of half his chariots, conspired against him. Now he was in Tirzah, drinking
himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah: 10and
Zimri went in and struck him and killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa
king of Judah, and reigned in his place. 11It happened, when he began to reign, as
soon as he sat on his throne, that he struck all the house of Baasha: he didn’t leave
him a single male, neither of his relatives, nor of his friends. 12Thus Zimri destroyed
all the house of Baasha, according to the word of Yahweh, which He spoke against
Baasha by Jehu the prophet, 13for all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son,
which they sinned, and with which they made Israel to sin, to provoke Yahweh, the
God of Israel, to anger with their vanities. 14Now the rest of the acts of Elah and all
that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
15In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in
Tirzah. Now the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the
Philistines. 16The people who were encamped heard say, Zimri has conspired, and
has also struck the king: therefore all Israel made Omri, the captain of the army,
king over Israel that day in the camp. 17Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all
Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. 18It happened, when Zimri saw that the
city was taken, that he went into the castle of the king’s house, and burnt the king’s
house over him with fire, and died, 19for his sins which he sinned in doing that
which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in
his sin which he did, to make Israel to sin. 20Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and
his treason that he committed, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of
the kings of Israel? 21Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts: half of
the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; and half followed
Omri. 22But the people who followed Omri prevailed against the people who
followed Tibni the son of Ginath: so Tibni died, and Omri reigned. 23In the
thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel for twelve
years. He reigned six years in Tirzah. 24He bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for
two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which
he built Samaria, after the name of Shemer the owner of the hill. 25Omri did that
which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and dealt wickedly above all who were
before him. 26For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his
sins with which he made Israel to sin, to provoke Yahweh, the God of Israel, to
anger with their vanities. 27Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his
might that he showed, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings
of Israel? 28So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria; and Ahab his
son reigned in his place.
Ahab’s Evil Reign
29In
the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign
over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two
years. 30Ahab the son of Omri did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh above
all that were before him. 31It happened, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk
in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of
Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshiped him. 32He
reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.
33Ahab made the Asherah; and Ahab did yet more to provoke Yahweh, the God of
Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. 34In his days Hiel
the Bethelite built Jericho: he laid its foundation with the loss of Abiram his
firstborn, and set up its gates with the loss of his youngest son Segub, according to
the word of Yahweh, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.
CHAPTER 17
Elijah is Sustained During the Famine
Elijah the Tishbite, who was among the foreigners of Gilead, said to Ahab, As
Yahweh, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor
rain these years, but according to my word. 2The word of Yahweh came to him
saying, 3Go away from here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith,
that is before the Jordan. 4It shall be, that you shall drink of the brook. I have
commanded the ravens to feed you there. 5So he went and did according to the
word of Yahweh; for he went and lived by the brook Cherith, that is before the
Jordan. 6The ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and
flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. 7It happened after a while, that the
brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. 8The word of Yahweh came
to him saying, 9Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there.
Behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain you. 10So he arose and went to
Zarephath; and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there
gathering sticks: and he called to her and said, Please get me a little water in a
vessel, that I may drink. 11As she was going to get it, he called to her and said,
Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand. 12She said, As Yahweh your God
lives, I don’t have a cake, but a handful of flour in a pitcher, and a little oil in a
pitcher. Behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and bake it for me and
my son, that we may eat it, and die. 13Elijah said to her, Don’t be afraid. Go and do
as you have said; but make me of it a little cake first, and bring it out to me, and
afterward make some for you and for your son. 14For thus says Yahweh, the God of
Israel, ‘The jar of meal shall not empty, neither shall the jar of oil fail, until the day
that Yahweh sends rain on the earth.’ 15She went and did according to the saying of
Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, ate many days. 16The jar of meal didn’t
empty, neither did the jar of oil fail, according to the word of Yahweh, which he
spoke by Elijah.
Elijah Raises the Widow’s Son
17It
happened after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the
house, fell sick; and his sickness was so severe, that there was no breath left in him.
18She said to Elijah, What have I to do with you, you man of God? You have come to
me to bring my sin to memory, and to kill my son! 19He said to her, Give me your
son. He took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into the room where he
stayed, and laid him on his own bed. 20He cried to Yahweh and said, Yahweh my
God, have You also brought evil on the widow with whom I stay, by killing her
son? 21He stretched himself on the child three times, and cried to Yahweh and said,
Yahweh my God, please let this child’s soul come into him again. 22Yahweh
listened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he
revived. 23Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the room into the
house, and delivered him to his mother; and Elijah said, Behold, your son lives.
24The woman said to Elijah, Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the
word of Yahweh in your mouth is truth.
CHAPTER 18
Elijah and Obadiah
It happened after many days, that the word of Yahweh came to Elijah in the third
year, saying, Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain on the earth. 2Elijah
went to show himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria. 3Ahab called
Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared Yahweh greatly: 4for
it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of Yahweh, that Obadiah took one
hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and
water). 5Ahab said to Obadiah, Go through the land, to all the springs of water, and
to all the brooks. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive,
so that we don’t lose all the animals. 6So they divided the land between them to
pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way
by himself. 7As Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he recognized
him and fell on his face and said, Is it you, my lord Elijah? 8He answered him, It is I.
Go, tell your lord, ‘Behold, Elijah is here!’. 9He said, Wherein have I sinned, that
you would deliver your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me? 10As Yahweh
your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek
you. When they said, ‘He is not here’, he took an oath of the kingdom and nation,
that they didn’t find you. 11Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, Behold, Elijah is here’.
12It will happen, as soon as I am gone from you, that the spirit of Yahweh will carry
you I don’t know where; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he can’t find you,
he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared Yahweh from my youth. 13Wasn’t it
told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of Yahweh, how I hid one
hundred men of Yahweh’s prophets with fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread
and water? 14Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, Behold, Elijah is here!’- and he will
kill me. 15Elijah said, As Yahweh of Armies lives, before whom I stand, I will surely
show myself to him today. 16So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and
Ahab went to meet Elijah.
The Contest on Mount Carmel
17It
happened that when Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, Is that you, you
troubler of Israel? 18He answered, I have not troubled Israel; but you, and your
father’s house, in that you have forsaken the commandments of Yahweh, and you
have followed the Baals. 19Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel to Mount
Carmel, and four hundred and fifty of the prophets of Baal, and four hundred of
the prophets of the Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table. 20So Ahab sent to all the
children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together to Mount Carmel. 21Elijah
came near to all the people and said, How long will you waver between the two
sides? If Yahweh is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him. The people
answered him not a word. 22Then Elijah said to the people, I, even I only, am left a
prophet of Yahweh; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 23Let them
therefore give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, and cut it
in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under it; and I will dress the other
bull, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under it. 24You call on the name of your
god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh. The God who answers by fire, let him
be God. All the people answered, It is well said. 25Elijah said to the prophets of Baal,
Choose one bull for yourselves, and dress it first; for you are many; and call on the
name of your god, but put no fire under it. 26They took the bull which was given to
them and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until
noon, saying, Baal, hear us! But there was no voice, nor any who answered. They
leaped about the altar which was made. 27It happened at noon, that Elijah mocked
them and said, Cry louder; for he is a god! Either he is musing, or he has gone aside
to the toilet, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleeps and must be awakened.
28They cried aloud, and cut themselves in their way with knives and lances, until
the blood gushed out on them. 29It was so, when midday was past, that they
prophesied until the time of the offering of the offering; but there was neither voice,
nor any to answer, nor any who responded. 30Elijah said to all the people, Come
near to me; and all the people came near to him. He repaired the altar of Yahweh
that was thrown down. 31Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the
tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of Yahweh came, saying, Israel shall
be your name. 32With the stones he built an altar in the name of Yahweh. He made a
trench around the altar, large enough to contain two measures of seed. 33He put the
wood in order, and cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, Fill four
jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood. 34He said, Do it
a second time; and they did it the second time. He said, Do it a third time; and they
did it the third time. 35The water ran around the altar; and he also filled the trench
with water. 36It happened at the time of the offering of the offering, that Elijah the
prophet came near and said, Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac and of Israel, let it
be known this day that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant, and that I
have done all these things at Your word. 37Answer me, Yahweh, answer me, that
this people may know that You, Yahweh, are God, and that You have turned their
heart back again. 38Then the fire of Yahweh fell and consumed the burnt offering
and the wood, the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the
trench. 39When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces. They said, Yahweh, he
is God! Yahweh, He is God! 40Elijah said to them, Seize the prophets of Baal! Don’t
let one of them escape! They seized them. Elijah brought them down to the brook
Kishon, and killed them there.
Elijah Prays for Rain
41Elijah
said to Ahab, Get up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of
rain. 42So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel;
and he bowed himself down on the earth, and put his face between his knees. 43He
said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. He went up and looked, and
said, There is nothing. He said seven times, Go again. 44It happened at the seventh
time that he said, Behold, a small cloud, like a man’s hand, is rising out of the sea.
He said, Go up, tell Ahab, ‘Get ready and go down, so that the rain doesn’t stop
you.’ 45It happened in a little while, that the sky grew black with clouds and wind,
and there was a great rain. Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. 46The hand of Yahweh
was on Elijah; and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran before Ahab to the
entrance of Jezreel.
CHAPTER 19
Elijah Meets God at Horeb
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets
with the sword. 2Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah saying, So let the gods do
to me, and more also, if I don’t make your life as the life of one of them by
tomorrow about this time! 3When he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and
came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4But he
himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a
juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, It is enough.
Now, O Yahweh, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. 5He lay
down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, an angel touched him, and said to
him, Arise and eat! 6He looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on
the coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. 7The angel of
Yahweh came again the second time, and touched him and said, Arise and eat,
because the journey is too great for you. 8He arose and ate and drank, and went in
the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the Mount of God.
9He came there to a cave, and lodged there; and behold, the word of Yahweh came
to him, and he said to him, What are you doing here, Elijah? 10He said, I have been
very jealous for Yahweh, the God of Armies; for the children of Israel have forsaken
Your covenant, thrown down Your altars and slain Your prophets with the sword.
I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 11He said, Go out, and
stand on the mountain before Yahweh. Behold, Yahweh passed by, and a great and
strong wind tore the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before Yahweh; but
Yahweh was not in the wind. After the wind an earthquake; but Yahweh was not in
the earthquake. 12After the earthquake a fire passed; but Yahweh was not in the fire:
and after the fire a still small voice. 13It was so, when Elijah heard it, that he
wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave.
Behold, a voice came to him, and said, Why are you still here, Elijah? 14He said, I
have been very jealous for Yahweh, the God of Armies; for the children of Israel
have forsaken Your covenant, thrown down your altars and slain Your prophets
with the sword. I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
15Yahweh said to him, Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus.
When you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.
Elisha is Commissioned
16You
shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi to be king over Israel; and you shall
anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah to be prophet in your place. 17It
shall happen, that he who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and he
who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. 18Yet will I leave seven
thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth
which has not kissed him. 19So he departed to there, and found Elisha the son of
Shaphat, who was ploughing, with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the
twelfth: and Elijah passed over to him, and cast his mantle on him. 20He left the
oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me please kiss my father and my mother,
and then I will follow you. He said to him, Go back again; for what have I done to
you? 21He returned from following him, and took the yoke of oxen, killed them and
boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave to the people and they
ate. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and served him.
CHAPTER 20
Conflict Between Ahab and Ben Hadad
Ben Hadad the king of Syria gathered all his army together; and there were
thirty-two kings with him, and horses and chariots: and he went up and besieged
Samaria, and fought against it. 2He sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the
city, and said to him, Thus says Ben Hadad, 3‘Your silver and your gold is mine.
Your wives also and your children, even the best, are mine.’ 4The king of Israel
answered, It is according to your saying, my lord, O king. I am yours, and all that I
have. 5The messengers came again and said, Ben Hadad says, ‘I sent indeed to you,
saying, You shall deliver me your silver, and your gold, and your wives, and your
children; 6but I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they
shall search your house, and the houses of your servants; and it shall be, that
whatever is pleasant in your eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away.’
7Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, Please notice how
this man seeks mischief; for he sent to me for my wives, my children, my silver, my
gold; and I didn’t deny him. 8All the elders and all the people said to him, Don’t
listen, neither consent. 9Therefore he said to the messengers of Ben Hadad, Tell my
lord the king, ‘All that you sent for to your servant at the first I will do; but this
thing I cannot do.’ The messengers departed, and brought him back the message.
10Ben Hadad sent to him, and said, The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust
of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me. 11The king of
Israel answered, Tell him, ‘Don’t let him who puts on his armour brag like he who
takes it off.’ 12It happened, when Ben Hadad heard this message, as he was
drinking, he and the kings, in the pavilions, that he said to his servants, Prepare to
attack! They prepared to attack the city. 13Behold, a prophet came near to Ahab king
of Israel and said, Thus says Yahweh, ‘Have you seen all this great multitude?
Behold, I will deliver it into your hand this day; and you shall know that I am
Yahweh.’ 14Ahab said, By whom? He said, Thus says Yahweh, ‘By the young men
of the princes of the provinces.’ Then he said, Who shall begin the battle? He
answered, You. 15Then he mustered the young men of the princes of the provinces,
and they were two hundred and thirty-two. After them, he mustered all the people,
even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand. 16They went out at noon. But
Ben Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the
thirty-two kings who helped him. 17The young men of the princes of the provinces
went out first; and Ben Hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, Men are coming
out from Samaria. 18He said, If they have come out for peace, take them alive; or if
they have come out for war, take them alive. 19So these went out of the city, the
young men of the princes of the provinces, and the army which followed them.
20They each killed his man. The Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them. Ben Hadad
the king of Syria escaped on a horse with horsemen. 21The king of Israel went out,
and struck the horses and chariots, and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter.
22The prophet came near to the king of Israel and said to him, Go, strengthen
yourself, and mark, and see what you do; for at the return of the year the king of
Syria will come up against you. 23The servants of the king of Syria said to him, Their
god is a god of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we. But let us fight
against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. 24Do this thing:
take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their place.
25Muster an army, like the army that you have lost, horse for horse, and chariot for
chariot. We will fight against them in the plain, and surely we will be stronger than
them. He listened to their voice, and did so. 26It happened at the return of the year,
that Ben Hadad mustered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against
Israel. 27The children of Israel were mustered and were provisioned, and went
against them. The children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of
young goats; but the Syrians filled the country. 28A man of God came near and
spoke to the king of Israel and said, Thus says Yahweh, ‘Because the Syrians have
said, Yahweh is a god of the hills, but He is not a god of the valleys; therefore I will
deliver all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am
Yahweh.’ 29They encamped opposite one another seven days. So it was, that in the
seventh day the battle was joined; and the children of Israel killed one hundred
thousand footmen of the Syrians in one day. 30But the rest fled to Aphek, into the
city; and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men who were left. Ben Hadad
fled, and came into the city, into an inner room. 31His servants said to him, See now,
we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please let us
put sackcloth on our bodies, and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of
Israel. Maybe he will save your life. 32So they put sackcloth on their bodies and
ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Your servant Ben
Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’ He said, Is he still alive? He is my brother. 33Now
the men observed diligently, and hurried to take this phrase; and they said, Your
brother Ben Hadad. Then he said, Go, bring him. Then Ben Hadad came out to him;
and he caused him to come up into the chariot. 34Ben Hadad said to him, The cities
which my father took from your father I will restore. You shall make streets for
yourself in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. I, said Ahab, will let you go
with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and let him go.
A Lesson in the Need for Obedience
35A
certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his fellow by the word of
Yahweh, Please strike me! The man refused to strike him. 36Then he said to him,
Because you have not obeyed the voice of Yahweh, behold, as soon as you are
departed from me, a lion shall kill you. As soon as he was departed from him, a lion
found him, and killed him. 37Then he found another man, and said, Please strike
me. The man struck him, smiting and wounding him. 38So the prophet departed,
and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with his headband over
his eyes. 39As the king passed by, he cried to the king; and he said, Your servant
went out into the midst of the battle; and behold, a man turned aside, and brought a
man to me and said, ‘Guard this man! If by any means he be missing, then your life
shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.’ 40As your servant was
busy here and there, he was gone. The king of Israel said to him, So your judgment
shall be; you yourself have decided it. 41He hurried, and took the headband away
from his eyes; and the king of Israel recognized that he was of the prophets. 42He
said to him, Thus says Yahweh, ‘Because you have let go out of your hand the man
whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your
people for his people.’ 43The king of Israel went to his house sullen and angry, and
came to Samaria.
CHAPTER 21
Ahab and Naboth’s Vineyard
It happened after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which
was in Jezreel, right next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2Ahab spoke to
Naboth saying, Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs,
because it is near to my house; and I will give you for it a better vineyard than it.
Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money. 3Naboth said to
Ahab, May Yahweh forbid me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to
you! 4Ahab came into his house sullen and angry because of the word which
Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, I will not give you the
inheritance of my fathers. He laid himself down on his bed, and turned away his
face, and would eat no bread. 5But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him,
Why is your spirit so sad, that you eat no bread? 6He said to her, Because I spoke to
Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if
it pleases you, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ He answered, ‘I will not give
you my vineyard.’ 7Jezebel his wife said to him, Do you really now govern the
kingdom of Israel? Arise, and eat bread, and let your heart be merry. I will give you
the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. 8So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and
sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles who
were in his city, who lived with Naboth. 9She wrote in the letters saying, Proclaim a
fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. 10Set two men, base fellows, before
him, and let them testify against him saying, ‘You cursed God and the king!’ Then
carry him out, and stone him to death. 11The men of his city, even the elders and the
nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, according as it was
written in the letters which she had sent to them. 12They proclaimed a fast, and set
Naboth on high among the people. 13The two men, the base fellows, came in and sat
before him. The base fellows testified against him, even against Naboth, in the
presence of the people saying, Naboth cursed God and the king! Then they carried
him out of the city, and stoned him to death with stones. 14Then they sent to Jezebel
saying, Naboth has been stoned, and is dead. 15It happened, when Jezebel heard
that Naboth was stoned and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take
possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you
for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead. 16It happened, when Ahab heard that
Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the
Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
Ahab’s Condemnation and Repentance
17The
word of Yahweh came to Elijah the Tishbite saying, 18Arise, go down to meet
Ahab king of Israel, who dwells in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of
Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it. 19You shall speak to him
saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh, Have you killed and also taken possession?’. You shall
speak to him saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh, In the place where dogs licked the blood
of Naboth, dogs will lick your blood, even yours.’ 20Ahab said to Elijah, Have you
found me, my enemy? He answered, I have found you, because you have sold
yourself to do that which is evil in the sight of Yahweh. 21Behold, I will bring evil on
you, and will utterly sweep you away and will cut off from Ahab every male, and
him who is shut up and him who is left at large in Israel. 22I will make your house
like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of
Ahijah for the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and have
made Israel to sin. 23Yahweh also spoke of Jezebel saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel
by the rampart of Jezreel. 24The dogs will eat he who dies of Ahab in the city; and
the birds of the sky will eat he who dies in the field. 25But there was none like Ahab,
who sold himself to do that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, whom Jezebel
his wife stirred up. 26He did very abominably in following idols, according to all
that the Amorites did, whom Yahweh cast out before the children of Israel. 27It
happened, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes, and put
sackcloth on his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. 28The word
of Yahweh came to Elijah the Tishbite saying, 29See how Ahab humbles himself
before Me? Because he humbles himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his
days; but in his son’s days will I bring the evil on his family.
CHAPTER 22
Ahab’s Alliance with Jehoshaphat
They continued three years without war between Syria and Israel. 2It happened in
the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.
3The king of Israel said to his servants, You know that Ramoth Gilead is ours, and
we are sitting still, and don’t take it out of the hand of the king of Syria? 4He said to
Jehoshaphat, Will you go with me to battle to Ramoth Gilead? Jehoshaphat said to
the king of Israel, I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your
horses. 5Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Please inquire first for the word of
Yahweh. 6Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four
hundred men, and said to them, Shall I go against Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall
I forbear? They said, Go up; for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.
7But Jehoshaphat said, Isn’t there here a prophet of Yahweh, that we may inquire of
Him? 8The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man by whom we
may inquire of Yahweh, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him; for he does not
prophesy good concerning me, but evil. Jehoshaphat said, Don’t let the king say so.
9Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Quickly get Micaiah the son of
Imlah. 10Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each
on his throne, arrayed in their robes, in an open place at the entrance of the gate of
Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 11Zedekiah the son of
Chenaanah made him horns of iron and said, Thus says Yahweh, ‘With these you
shall push the Syrians, until they are consumed.’ 12All the prophets prophesied so,
saying, Go up to Ramoth Gilead, and prosper; for Yahweh will deliver it into the
hand of the king. 13The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him saying,
See now, the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth. Please let your
word be like the word of one of them, and speak good. 14Micaiah said, As Yahweh
lives, what Yahweh says to me, that I will speak. 15When he had come to the king,
the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall we
forbear? He answered him, Go up and prosper; and Yahweh will deliver it into the
hand of the king. 16The king said to him, How many times do I have to adjure you
that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of Yahweh? 17He said, I saw
all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. Yahweh said,
‘These have no master. Let them each return to his house in peace.’ 18The king of
Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Didn’t I tell you that he would not prophesy good
concerning me, but evil?
A Vision of God’s Throne Room
19Micaiah
said, Therefore hear the word of Yahweh. I saw Yahweh sitting on His
throne, and all the army of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on His
left. 20Yahweh said, ‘Who shall entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth
Gilead?’ One said one thing; and another said another. 21A spirit came out and
stood before Yahweh, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ 22Yahweh said to him, ‘How?’
He said, ‘I will go out and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ He
said, ‘You will entice him, and will also prevail. Go out and do so.’ 23Now therefore,
behold, Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; and
Yahweh has spoken evil concerning you. 24Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah
came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way did the Spirit of
Yahweh go from me to speak to you? 25Micaiah said, Behold, you will see on that
day when you go into an inner room to hide yourself. 26The king of Israel said, Take
Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the
king’s son. 27Say, ‘Thus says the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him
with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.’ 28Micaiah
said, If you return at all in peace, Yahweh has not spoken by me. He said, Listen, all
you people!
The Battle at Ramoth Gilead
29So
the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth
Gilead. 30The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and go into
the battle; but you put on your robes. The king of Israel disguised himself, and
went into the battle. 31Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two
captains of his chariots saying, Fight neither with small nor great, except only with
the king of Israel. 32It happened, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat,
that they said, Surely that is the king of Israel! And they turned aside to fight
against him. Jehoshaphat cried out. 33It happened, when the captains of the chariots
saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. 34A
certain man drew his bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the
joints of the armour. Therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, Turn your hand,
and carry me out of the battle; for I am severely wounded. 35The battle increased
that day. The king was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians, and died at
evening. The blood ran out of the wound into the bottom of the chariot. 36A cry
went throughout the army about the going down of the sun saying, Every man to
his city, and every man to his country! 37So the king died, and was brought to
Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria. 38They washed the chariot by the
pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood where the prostitutes washed
themselves; according to the word of Yahweh which He spoke. 39Now the rest of
the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he built, and all the
cities that he built, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of
Israel? 40So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.
Jehoshaphat’s Reign
41Jehoshaphat
the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab
king of Israel. 42Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign; and
he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the
daughter of Shilhi. 43He walked in all the way of Asa his father; he didn’t turn aside
from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh: however the high places
were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high
places. 44Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel. 45Now the rest of the acts
of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, aren’t they
written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 46The remnant of the
sodomites, that remained in the days of his father Asa, he put away out of the land.
47There was no king in Edom: a deputy was king. 48Jehoshaphat made ships of
Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they didn’t go; for the ships were broken at
Ezion Geber. 49Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, Let my servants
go with your servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not. 50Jehoshaphat slept
with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father;
Jehoram his son reigned in his place. 51Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over
Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he
reigned two years over Israel. 52He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh,
and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother, and in the way of
Jeroboam the son of Nebat, in which he made Israel to sin. 53He served Baal and
worshiped him, and provoked to anger Yahweh, the God of Israel, according to all
that his father had done.